The field of the invention relates to toilet paper and more particularly to devices for mounting toilet paper rolls.
Toilet paper rolls are well known and have assumed an almost universal appearance and structure. Typically, a new toilet paper roll is approximately 4-xc2xd inches in diameter and 4-xc2xd inches long. A center hole of approximately 1-xc2xd inches is provided.
While the precise origins of the toilet paper roll are unknown, one historical view is that the toilet paper roll was originally intended for manual use (i.e., without a toilet paper holder). Accordingly, the size of the center hole (of 1-xc2xd inches) was chosen to allow two forefingers of a user""s hand to be inserted into the center hole, while the outer diameter was grasped with the user""s thumb. By allowing the user a convenient method of holding the roll with one hand, the user""s other hand was free to tear off individual sheets for use.
Under the historical view, the toilet paper holder was a later development directed to creating the appearance of a neater bathroom. However, even with this development, the overall appearance of the toilet paper roll has not changed even though toilet paper holders are in almost universal use.
While toilet paper holders do provide a neater bathroom and ostensibly allow one-handed use, a roll must still be replaced within the holder when the toilet paper is gone. To replace a toilet paper roll, a user must grasp and remove a center spindle. However, touching a center spindle (especially in a public bathroom) is abhorred by many people. Accordingly, a need exists for a better method of mounting toilet paper rolls.